On Being High Maintenance

I’m not nearly as concerned as I use to be, but I still consider myself an 8 on the high maintenance scale of 1-10.

God…years ago, I use to be a 10 ½ and almost a 12!

A friend of mine in Florida and I use to laugh at ourselves, whenever we’d talked about how long it took us to get ready for bed.

Between applying eye cream, face cream, neck cream, collagen lifting serum, and hand and foot lotion…if I wanted to be in bed by midnight…I’d have to start this routine and 8:30.

I use to call it…The Great Pickling Event.

(and that’s not including: brushing and flossing my teeth, or using a mouthwash…and then chanting my Buddhist mantras)

Thank heavens as I’ve gotten older, I don’t give a shit as much.

(but I still give a shit)

However, my routine has drastically been reduced to only a single face cream, hand and foot lotion, teeth cleansing…and NO Buddhist mantras, because I just recently replaced that routine with a big glass of red wine.

I also try and make sure that all my clothes are freshly ironed for work the night before, and are hanging in the closet where I can easily grab them in the morning, so I don’t have to think about anything except eating my breakfast and filling my blood stream with a LITER of French pressed coffee.

And before leaving for work, I DO check myself in the mirror, to make sure my hair is not freaking out, and I don’t have any lint sticking to my all-black attire.

Once at work, I may also take a few glances in the department store mirrors, just to see if I still look like Brad Pitt.

And other than this compulsive, addictive, obsessive and neurotic “high maintenance” routine of mine…

You must have the softest darn skin of all!! I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous that you started at such an early age - If I had known you back then, you would have been my ROLE MODEL - hands down!!! My mom begged and nagged me to use sunscreen back when I was 14/15 (Can you believe back then it was 4,8, 10 only??!!) Now, I have my share of crow's feet and some other wrinkles creeping in and I'm only going to be 43 this Nov!!!! It's living under that California sun and spending all my summer days at the plage!!! My mom always used to say that when I was 26 my skin would look older than hers--- My mom had BEAUTIFUL skin even at her last age of 63- RIP Mom). She knew best- MOM!!! You have done GOOD, Ron, to take such meticulous care of your skin!!!! AMEN!!!!---- LeesaPS... Glad you, Barbara and Didier had a great time and that you enjoyed the chocolates- they're my favorite chocolats, too!!!!) You have to eat them quickly, with good reason... They stay good only for about a month or soo.... So, eat up and enjoy!!!

Ron Dahling,I'm completely the opposite LOL. I rarely wear makeup. The last thing I bought was a tube of stuff called 'Butt Fixing Creme' What it's supposed to do, I don't know, but I figured my ass can sure use some fixing. Do I use it? NO...I don't have time for it LOLI had TONS of bottles of nail polish, which I threw out most because I read about how bad the chemicals in them were for fertility.I just don't care if somebody don't like how I look au naturale-they can just kiss my flubbery stretchmarked ass LOL

Ron - You are a hoot!!! (I know that you can tell how old I am by that comment.) I have always gone through pretty much the same routine since my 20's. Wash off make-up, cream everything, the teeth bit. (My husband calls it "the routine".) But now I am noticing that other people notice how nice my skin is. So I think that taking care of yourself (high-maintenance) is a really good thing.

Ron that last picture cracked me up! Gasp!!! I wish my husband would be a little more like you in the maintenance department. Using your scale, he is a -22. Yes, that would be a negative 22. He showers daily but will get out, dry off, and put the same clothes right back on....for 3 or 4 days in a row. Granted, he works from home, at a desk and never leaves the house, but still, ewwweee!!!And he refuses to use product of any kind. He says that he does not like the way it "feels" on his skin. This would include hair products, lotions, and (here comes the gross part) deoderant. I cannot even imagine not wearing deoderant. Yuck!!I will admit though, that I am not even as high maintenance as it sounds like you are though. I guess I am somewhere in the middle.

There are days when I wish I could keep up with a routine of skin care.

However, the most I can do is use Oil of Olay w/spf 15 on my face and neck when I get out of the shower. I use baby lotion on my legs, arms and hands and that is my routine (besides teeth care, showers, etc...).

You're a wise man to replace chants with wine. While chants may calm the soul, wine will help with circulation, decrease your risk of high cholesterol and increase your overall peace. Not high maintenance at all! Moisturizer is a must for everyone - young or old, dry or oily. Your picture shows that your efforts have paid off.

Wot! You high maintenance! Oh noes. hehehe. You know I still iron everything I plan to wear for the following week on that Saturday or Sunday. I iron even the back of blouses or dresses...not like a certain person (brother in law) who said what for...you'll only get in the car and it will get wrinkled anyway.

My shoe...tap tap tap

Heres where you can hear crickets...

Pish Posh! I replied to that. Why do we make food look delish...it all looks like Goo in your mouth...I can tell because he eats with his mouth open...eeeewww.

Anyway...sweetie I have to agree with you...yes its high maintenance...but I don't see anything wrong with it. hehehe.

OMG! HILARIOUS! You are the funnest dude on the web! BTW: is that Susan Sarandon in your highlighted actress pic at left? I believe she is truly one of the most beautiful actresses in the world - just lovely. I really like her best in that cheezy drama she did with James Spader - "WHITE CASTLE" (yep- about the burger place) WAH! Hugs- from sib :)

Just check out Barbara's blog and she was able to put up a post... There's a really cute pic of you and her together.. Very CUTE!!! You guys look so happy- and you look as though you may have a piece of choc. in your mouth!!! : ) I have to say that it totally SHOWS that you take such good care of your skin-- You skin is GREAT!! And you have very pretty blue eyes, too!!I'm soo glad you got to meet up with Barabara and Didier... I can't wait to hear the stories from their trip.. Maybe Alex and I will make it out your way sometime... We have friends in Philly... My parents are from No. Philly- Strawberry Mansion, if you know where that is.. They left in 1961/2. I hear the neighbourhood is pretty run down now... Take care, Leesa

OMG...thank you SO MUCH for letting me know about Barbara's post!! I'll stop by just as soon as I finish my dinner.

Boy...I can't believe she got the photo's up, because she was telling me how difficult is was for her to find an Internet cafe. Maybe she found one in Cananda!

SEE!!! Didn't I tell you how MUCH I enjoyed your chocolate? I must looked hypnotized in the photograph!!!

And yes...we were very happy meeting one another! Her hubby is such a nice man!

Gosh...I had no idea that you had had family in Philly too!!! And yes...you heard right, North Philly is VERY run down, it's sad. Philly is either hit or miss. Parts are breathtakingly beautiful and others are pretty bad. Philly has a VERY strange energy about it - I've never really felt like I belong here.